Coming out with new voice??

[Harlow]

So just curious, is there an easy way to slowly transition your voice to a more female one? I have NO problem dressing femme or acting it or wearing makeup etc etc. The voice though seems to be the most awkward part of transitioning for me.

I am just now looking into it on youtube and the threads on here. I just don't want to be at work and seem really obvious about talking in a high pitch voice. I want it to be natural and gradual if at all possible.

I'm really new to the feminizing of the voice. How did any of you do it? Did you do it gradually or just go for it regardless of anyone's reactions?

Any tips, links, video's, apps, recording sites etc to help me through this would be great. I have been going through some of these threads but there is just so much out there. I thought maybe any of you could give me some good starting basics and also tell me how to even start changing my voice in public, work and with family and friends. I think this is going to be the toughest part for me. Funny part is I used to hate my voice so much because I thought it was too gay, now that I've come out to myself as transgender-ed I wish my voice was gayer XD

[Incarlina]

When I started voice therapy I intended to transition the voice gradually. I only used the new voice mode around friends. But when my voice therapist said my voice sounded great, I skipped the slow transition and went for the new voice full time. The voice will still do weird things occasionally, but the weirdnesses are becoming increasingly rare.

[Ms Grace]

I'm intentionally speaking in a lighter (rather than higher) pitch at work. I figure by the time I do transition it won't be too great a shift.

(I once worked with this cis guy who actually had a very female voice, people would misgender him all the time, "I was speaking to this woman earlier", etc... I was so jealous, but of course he really hated how he sounded!)

[KabitTarah]

I'm intentionally speaking in a lighter (rather than higher) pitch at work. I figure by the time I do transition it won't be too great a shift.

(I once worked with this cis guy who actually had a very female voice, people would misgender him all the time, "I was speaking to this woman earlier", etc... I was so jealous, but of course he really hated how he sounded!)

I'm doing this too at work and around the family. It also helps for practice - since I definitely slip sometimes. A higher and lighter voice, but still male...

At home I sometimes talk in my "girl" voice - just for practice, and to switch it up with the kids (who haven't said anything...)

[Ms Grace]

I unintentionally used my female voice on the bus the other day when buying a ticket, the driver didn't blink but I got an odd look from one of the passengers

[Lauren5]

Managed to get through a party and a trip to buy makeup at CVS in femme mode, complete with voice. I was so worried about it, that it sounded wrong, but my friends reassured me I was fine.

[RavenMoon]

At home I sometimes talk in my "girl" voice - just for practice, and to switch it up with the kids (who haven't said anything...)

I do that with my 8 year old daughter! She doesn't like it. lol  She tells me to "stop talking that way, it's freaky."

I'm just starting with voice training, but I was already able to do different voices. I'm not yet happy enough with my female voice, but I also haven't been working on it yet. Still a bit too much lower resonance.

[Jennygirl]

A good tip I found was to talk akin to a valley girl, then dial it back a little bit. It really helps to develop the dynamic pitch range and word choice, two crucial parts to making a voice sound feminine even if you don't have a full bump up on pitch.

Also another great place to practice is in the car, because you can be as loud as you want without any worry as to whether someone is listening.

I feel you on the transitioning it into public thing. It was my sole reason behind choosing to do VFS. I was happy with my voice in private, but it was so different from my regular male voice that it kept me from being able to use it in public at all. I agree that voice is the hardest part of transition.. Unless maybe you are a natural performer / stage fright doesn't get to you.

[Ms Grace]

I'm generally happy with my voice and as I live alone there's no problem with practice time (except I probably don't do it enough!). My three concerns are... speaking on the phone; having to speak at length; having to speak at volume. I'm generally required to do all those in my job (sometimes the last two at the same time) and I know my voice will buckle and go hoarse under those conditions.

[KabitTarah]

I raised my voice just a bit for my therapist. I completely intended to use my girl voice that I've been working on. I like my voice in the car and to my kids... so I need to try it against people who can tell me why it's bad

Seriously... I cannot figure it out in the mic. I think I know the problem there too. My voice works in real time - it might have problems, but I can use it. The mic lets you stop and restart as many times as you want ~ infinite 10-second retakes and they all sound funky. I need to skype people or something! (Can you record skype conversations? For temporary, personal use only... of course!)

The other problem I have is interjection. I am afraid to make my girl voice my primary voice because I could accidentally use it where I shouldn't (whereas right now accidentally using a male voice would seem normal just about anywhere I go). So... when I'm trying to stay in girl mode (in the car) and someone on the road does something stupid -- unless I've been practicing already, I'll slip into male voice to comment on the other driver.

The tl;dr of it all is that my voice is a mess.

[Jill F]

A good tip I found was to talk akin to a valley girl, then dial it back a little bit.

Like, oh my gawd, this is totally like the best advice, umm, everrr.  I'm like so totally there.  I mean I could so walk to Ventura Bl right now if walking wasn't like totally for dorks.  I like totally AM a valley girl, so I might as well talk like one.  Duhrrr.

[RavenMoon]

My voice works in real time - it might have problems, but I can use it. The mic lets you stop and restart as many times as you want ~ infinite 10-second retakes and they all sound funky.

You do realize that you sound different from the way you hear yourself through your own ears, right? It's because when you talk you are sending vibrations through your skull.

The way your voice sounds when you record yourself is how you really sound. I use an expensive set of headphones and a good quality studio microphone when I practice. But that's because I have home recording setup. But a little hand held personal voice recorder would work fine.

[Jennygirl]

Like, oh my gawd, this is totally like the best advice, umm, everrr.  I'm like so totally there.  I mean I could so walk to Ventura Bl right now if walking wasn't like totally for dorks.  I like totally AM a valley girl, so I might as well talk like one.  Duhrrr.

The voice is strong with this one!

The way your voice sounds when you record yourself is how you really sound. I use an expensive set of headphones and a good quality studio microphone when I practice. But that's because I have home recording setup. But a little hand held personal voice recorder would work fine.

I found this video some time ago and this really does help... I just use my hands instead of pieces of paper, lol

[RavenMoon]

I just use my hands instead of pieces of paper, lol

Yeah, I do that too sometimes.